I guess I missed the vote to have Al Michaels and Bob Costas call the 4th and 5th innings of tonight’s Mets-Giants game on SNY, while Gary Cohen and Ron Darling go over to the MLB Network to call the innings in their broadcast booth. I don’t mind Michaels who is more associated with the NFL( and the 1980 USA hockey team as well) than he is with baseball even though he was a top notch baseball play by play man early in his career. I could do without Costas who is way too pretentious for me. I subscribe to the if it ”ain’t broke don’t fix it” school of thought especially when it comes to watching the Mets.

What a tragedy last night in Arlington, where Josh Hamilton went to flip a ball to a fan after the third out of the inning and the fan leaning over to catch it, fell 20 ft landed on his head and died. The fan a 39 year old fireman was at the game with his son who was reported to be 8 or 9 years old. This is heartbreaking for the family but also for Hamilton who was reported to be distraught over the event. I’m not one to be a reactionary type when freak accidents occur but I think it’s time to stop the ball toss in the stands. I’ve written here many times how I hate the bullshit Pepsi Patrol t-shirt launches into the stands. People turn into total assholes when some two dollar t shirt is blasted into the stands. It’s totally ridiculous. The same with foul balls. I have never caught a foul ball at a game and I could care less if I ever do. I have five full buckets of baseballs in my garage it doesn’t matter to me if it’s a ball from a Major League game. I’d rather keep all my bones and extremities intact than have a ball with Bud Selig’s name on it.

As a member of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance, I‘ve been asked to make my All-Star selections. The All-Star Game used to be a real big deal a long time ago but now unless it’s played in your city and you are involved in the FanFest and stuff like that, it’s a rather ho-hum three days with out Major League Baseball. I’ve always felt instead of an All Star Game, baseball should make it a 3 Day Festival of Baseball.

You could have a day of an Old Timers Day celebrations at all the ball parks, with each team honoring its history and players of the past by bringing as many former players in for autograph and picture sessions with the fans. Another day could be a triple header of baseball where the organizations top three farm teams could compete in the big league ball parks. Here in NYC we could have Buffalo-Scranton/Wilkes Barre, Binghamton-Trenton, St. Lucie-Tampa play. Start the first game at 10AM and go from there. It would be a big baseball Block Party. On the third day bring the big league team for a Fan Appreciation Day to let the fans and players mingle together.

I’d much rather have a three day event like that than to see some superstar get one at bat, then climb in his limo for a ride to the airport to get out of town as fast as possible.

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